cancer Archives

cancer

Cancer immunotherapy update

September 2, 2020

Review of immune checkpoint inhibitor and CAR T-cell therapy adverse effects and treatments. Takeaways: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved several immunotherapy agents to treat cancer,…

Cancer survival remains higher in married compared to unmarried

October 11, 2011

A study, published by BMC Public Health, that examined data from 1970-2007 has found that the excess mortality of never-married compared to married people has “steadily increased.” Read…

Evidence-based interventions for depression in patients with cancer

December 11, 2010

Editor’s note: One of a series of articles on managing cancer-related symptoms from the Oncology Nursing Society. Dana Jennings, in his New York Times blog on his battle…

Evidence-based interventions for sleep-wake disturbances

April 11, 2011

Editor’s note: One of a series of articles on managing cancer-related symptoms from the Oncology Nursing Society

Evidence-based interventions for the prevention of bleeding in patients with cancer

August 11, 2011

Learn how you can help prevent bleeding in patients with cancer.

Experimental drug may stop cancer-induced cachexia

November 25, 2015

Data from a preclinical study show that AR-42, an experimental drug, may stop cachexia associated with advanced cancers and restore muscle health, according to a study in the…

FDA approves cancer treatment for tumors with specific biomarker

May 25, 2017

On May 23, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic solid tumors with the biomarker microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H)…

FDA approves first biosimilar for treatment of cancer

September 18, 2017

On Sept. 14, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Mvasi (bevacizumab-awwb) as a biosimilar to Avastin (bevacizumab) for the treatment of multiple types of cancer. Mvasi…

FDA approves new drug for pancreatic cancer

October 23, 2015

On Oct. 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Onivyde (irinotecan liposome injection), in combination with fluorouracil and leucovorin, to treat patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer…

FDA approves new drug for thyroid cancer

February 19, 2015

On February 13, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Lenvima (lenvatinib) to treat patients with progressive, differentiated thyroid cancer whose disease progressed despite receiving radioactive iodine…

FDA approves new treatment for advanced ovarian cancer

December 21, 2016

On Dec. 19, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Rubraca (rucaparib) to treat women with advanced ovarian cancer who have been treated with two or more chemotherapies…

Food in the fight against cancer: The evidence on cancer-related anorexia

April 11, 2010

Among the many treatments and supportive interventions for cancer, nurses and patients must not overlook a foundation of health—good nutrition. A proper diet during cancer treatment and beyond…

From our readers: When your parent is the patient

August 6, 2015

It’s not easy when your parent is the patient. In my 10 years of being a registered nurse, I have learned a lot, seen a lot, and considered…

Genetic testing recommended for colorectal cancer patients

August 7, 2014

A new guideline from the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer recommends genetic testing of tumors for all newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients. Read more and read…

Hospital volume associated with better survival in patients with head and neck cancer

March 11, 2013

“Hospital volume is associated with survival but not multimodality therapy in Medicare patients with advanced head and neck cancer,” published in Cancer, found that Medicare patients with advanced…

How to fight fatigue in patients with cancer

June 11, 2010

“Cancer’s paint box includes many shades of fatigue.” —Dana Jennings, a patient with prostate cancer who blogs for The New York Times The shock of a cancer diagnosis.…

Increased cadmium may increase risk of endometrial cancer

August 14, 2017

Cadmium exposure and endometrial cancer risk: A large midwestern U.S. population-based case-control study. Estrogen-mimicking chemicals, such as cadmium, may be associated with increased susceptibility to hormone-dependent cancers, though…

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy: Improving the odds for ovarian cancer patients

May 11, 2010

Patients with ovarian cancer may receive intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy, which delivers chemotherapeutic agents directly into the peritoneal cavity. Drugs given by this route include paclitaxel, carboplatin, and cisplatin.

Lancet study suggests 9/11 firefighters may have higher risk of cancer

August 11, 2011

The Lancet has published a study that reports a “modest excess of cancer cases” in 9/11 New York City firefighters. The researchers caution that more information is needed…

Long-term night shift work increases the risks of common cancers in women

January 11, 2018

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) conducted a meta-analysis to identify whether long-term night shift work increased the risks of common cancers in women. See the results of…

Lung cancer: Not just a smoker’s disease

February 14, 2017

Jill Smith, a 58-year-old waitress in a local bar, comes to the clinic complaining of shortness of breath and a persistent cough for the last month. She reports…

My cancer journey

June 10, 2020

I’m a nurse. I’m not supposed to be a patient. I’m not supposed to get cancer. I have too much to do to add cancer and its treatment…

New guidelines for managing care of breast cancer survivors

December 10, 2015

The American Cancer Society and the American Society of Clinical Oncology have released a new Breast Cancer Survivorship Care Guideline to help breast cancer survivors and their primary…

New HPV vaccine offers greater protection against cervical cancer

February 19, 2015

A study in The New England Journal of Medicine Scientists reports that a new HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine protects against nine types of the virus, seven of…

Opening the lines of communication about HPV

August 28, 2017

When parents resits the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine, be prepared to listen and educate. Takeaways Patients and parents may have misconceptions about the purpose of the HPV vaccine.…

Peaches and crocs: A story of gratitude for nurses

November 28, 2018

My story began when I was 49 years young and told I had Stage IV colorectal cancer. That was almost 12 years ago, and today I am one…

Putting evidence into practice: Prevention of infection in patients receiving cancer treatments

December 11, 2011

Learn how you can help reduce the risk of infections in patients receiving treatment for cancer

recognizing complications oncology patient

Recognizing complications in the oncology patient

September 13, 2017

Quick response includes paying attention to the details. Takeaways: Rapid assessment is key to identifying early complications in the oncology patient. Sense of urgency for early intervention is…

Recommendations to make cancer drugs more affordable

August 4, 2015

A group of 118 leading cancer experts in the U.S. have published recommendations for reducing the high cost of cancer drugs in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The average price…

Regular use of aspirin may reduce pancreatic cancer risk

December 21, 2016

Regular use of aspirin was associated with a lower risk of pancreatic cancer in people living in Shanghai, China. Read more

Risks pf BSGI and PEM studies

August 11, 2010

According to a study in Radiology, a single breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) or positron emission mammography (PEM) test is “associated with a fatal radiation-induced cancer risk higher than…

Screening for colorectal cancer

June 22, 2017

The U.S. Preventive Services Task has released a recommendation statement on screening for colorectal cancer; the statement recommends that screening should start at age 50 years and continue…

Silent killer: Adenocarcinoma at the esophagogastric junction

June 11, 2011

Low survival rates, high mortality, and lack of public awareness make this cancer especially dangerous.

Single sigmoidoscopy screen reduces colorectal cancers

August 11, 2011

Undergoing a single screening sigmoidoscopy between ages 55 and 64 reduced the incidence of colorectal cancer according to a study of 34,272. Read more.

Smoking soon after waking may increase cancer risk

August 11, 2011

Smoking the first cigarette soon after waking is associated with a greater risk of head and neck cancer according to a study published by Cancer. Read more..

Study: Daily aspirin use lowers cancer mortality

August 11, 2012

Recent daily aspirin use is associated with lower cancer mortality but the size of the effect may be smaller than what was observed in previous studies, according to…

Study: Serious mental illness increases cancer risk

July 11, 2012

The total cancer incidence in adults with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder was 2.6 times higher than the general population, according to a study of 3,317 Medicaid adult beneficiaries…

Study: Shortages of cancer drugs associated with medication errors and higher

March 11, 2013

A study in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy reports a survey of oncology pharmacists in the United States found that shortages of oncology drugs can cause treatment…

Take Note – April 2008

April 11, 2008

Pam Cipriano to receive ANA’s Distinguished Member Award American Nurse Today Editor-in-Chief Pamela Cipriano, PhD, RN, FAAN, will receive the Distinguished Member Award from the American Nurses Association…

kid eating healthy child girl veggies vegetable

Take Note – July 2008

July 11, 2008

Measles outbreak Between January 1 and April 25, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received reports of 64 measles cases in nine states—the highest number for the…

Take Note – May 2008

May 11, 2008

One in four U.S. teenage girls has an STD According to a recent federal study, one in four American teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease (STD), even…

Take Note – Sept/Oct 2009

September 11, 2009

Patients lose when nurse staffing is insufficient Heavy workloads and insufficient staffing affect patient care, according to about 2,000 nurses surveyed worldwide by the International Council of Nurses…

The genetics of colorectal cancer

February 11, 2011

A 52-year-old patient arrives at the busy family practice office where you work for his follow-up visit. He had not undergone colon cancer screening, despite his age, but…

The making of a hospice nurse: Beauty for ashes

December 5, 2018

Sometimes in life, when things appear to be going smoothly, in the blink of an eye, everything can change and your world is turned upside down. Security quickly…

The role of pharmacogenomics in cancer

October 11, 2010

Oncology nurses have long appreciated that the “one size fits all” strategy—basing chemotherapy dosages on body surface area—for treating cancer does not work because of variations in patients’…

Understanding radiation dermatitis

January 13, 2016

According to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 1.6 million new cases of cancer will have been diagnosed in the United States in 2015. During the course of…

Yoga may ease side effects of prostate cancer treatment

April 7, 2017

For men with prostate cancer, structured yoga class twice a week during radiation treatment reduces fatigue and urinary and sexual dysfunction, according to a study in International Journal…